Randy Scouse Git

"Randy Scouse Git" is a song written by Micky Dolenz in 1967, and recorded by The Monkees. It was the first song written by Micky Dolenz to be commercially released, and ended up a top 5 hit in the UK where it was retitled "Alternate Title" after the record company (RCA) complained that the title was "actually somewhat taboo to the British audience". The song also appeared on The Monkees TV series, on their album Headquarters, and on several "Greatest Hits" albums. Peter Tork has said that it is one of his favorite Monkees tracks.

According to Dolenz, the song was written about a party that The Beatles threw for the Monkees. There are references in the song to the Beatles ("the four kings of EMI") and to others such as Cass Elliot of the Mamas and Papas and Dolenz's future wife, Top of the Pops "disc girl" Samantha Juste.^[1]

The song is played by all four Monkees with Dolenz on vocals, drums and timpani, Davy Jones on backing vocals, Mike Nesmith on guitar, Tork on piano and organ, and producer Chip Douglas (The Turtles) on bass guitar.

Origin

The phrase "Randy Scouse Git" came from the 1960s British BBC-TV sit-com Till Death Us Do Part, in which the loudmouthed main character Alf Garnett, played by Cockney actor Warren Mitchell, regularly insulted his Liverpudlian ("Scouse") son-in-law, played by Tony Booth. The show was adapted for airing in America under the title All in the Family.

Cover versions

• Bad Manners covered the song on their 1997 album Heavy Petting.
• Carter USM also covered the song on the B-side of the single "Anytime Anyplace Anywhere" released on Rough Trade in 1990.

References